The Dragon Mage
by Revolution Assassin
Summary: Carollin Dracalla aspired to be the best mage in all of Tamriel. When she finds out she's a Dragonborn, it's both a blessing and a curse. Is being Dragonborn a gift from the gods or a curse with the urge to dominate and a lust for power? Rewrite in progress.
1. Delivering a Message

**Hello everyone and welcome to my first Skyrim fic. Just to get some stuff out of the way, there will be some retread of the main quest in this fic, but there will be alterations (some much needed ones, I might add) to certain questlines like the College of Winterhold, Dawnguard, and even Dragonborn (this one not too much, but there will be a few alterations). This first chapter is a bit of an appetizer to see the reception. The next one will for sure have some action.**

Also, all listed characters in the tags will be the primary characters in this fic. Serana will be in future chapters, but we'll get there when it's relevant.

 **Disclaimer: I do not own The Elder Scrolls series. Believe me, it wouldn't be as complex if I did.**

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I had arrived with my Bosmer companion Faendal at the gates of Whiterun late at night. To think, my first day in Skyrim and I was already running errands. However, Alvor from Riverwood wanted me to deliver a request to send troops to Riverwood. His nephew Hadvar, whom I had helped after finding him unconscious halfway to Riverwood, wrote a detailed report of what happened to Helgen. They did give me some food, supplies, and gold to help me on my journey. I was grateful for that.

The Whiterun guard approached us with a flaming torch. "Hold there, state your business!" the guard demanded.

 _Not the sort of hospitality I'm accustomed to_ , I thought. Then again, I'd be suspicious of people wandering outside the city's gates. "Riverwood requests the Jarl's aid. I also have news from Helgen."

The man quickly changed his demeanor and told me where to go. I entered the gate and Whiterun was massive compared to Riverwood. I quickly got over my shock. _Remember what you came here for, Carollin,_ I chided internally. There would be time for sightseeing later.

I handed Faendal some gold and told him to get a couple of rooms at the inn. Making my way to Dragonsreach, I saw some citizens patrolling the residential areas with the guards. Even just before I left Riverwood, there were people who patrolled the streets in that small town. There was a sense of community, something you usually don't see a lot of in this world.

After climbing the stone steps, I finally got a good look at Dragonsreach. It was massive and well-built. I typically never paid attention to architecture, especially Nordic architecture, but it was incredibly made with a combination of stone and lumber. Even if the castle wasn't atop a hill, it would easily dwarf any building in the city.

While walking to the front door, I noticed the guards were a bit tense. It must be the rumors of dragons I heard the guards and people talking amongst each other. It sounds farfetched, but seeing the wreckage at Helgen and the dangers this world has, giant flying lizards returning doesn't seem far off the realm of possibility.

The inside of Dragonsreach was quite massive. I knew the exterior was huge, but being inside made me feel quite insignificant. The beautifully decorated rug sat near the door and I was a bit worried about desecrating it with mud.

As I entered the dining area where the jarl was engaged in conversation with what appeared to be his steward, a Dunmer woman quickly drew her sword and took a fighting stance. She approached me methodically, anticipating hostility or civility. "What is the meaning of this? Explain yourself!" she ordered.

I explained to her about Alvor requesting guards to protect Riverwood. I also told her about a detailed report Hadvar wrote about what happened at Helgen. She seemed to drop all hostility when I mentioned Helgen. She grabbed the document I had in my hand and silently read it to herself. She gave it to the steward and the jarl motioned for me to step forward.

The jarl was an older Nord man, perhaps someone who fought in the Great War. He looked to be in great physical shape, likely most Nords his age are. His gold and ruby circlet that adorned his forehead was exquisite, likely costing a pretty sum of coin. His overall dress sense was a mix between a warrior and a ruler. So this is Jarl Balgruuf.

Jarl Balgruuf read the letter and his expression seemed like one of disbelief. "By Ysmir, a dragon really attacked Helgen." He seemed to also humph at a part he reread. "It figures that Ulfric is factored into this. It seems to happen a lot lately. So, Proventus, shall we continue to trust in the strength of our walls against a dragon?"

"My lord, we should send troops to Riverwood at once. They have no means of protection and who knows what dangers they'll face in the future."

Proventus seemed to be urging them to reconsider, "Jarl Siddgeir will see this as an act of inciting violence. He'll assume we'll side with the Stormcloaks. We should-"

"That's enough!" the jarl shouted, his voice booming within the hall. "My people need to be assured that I can protect them. I don't want Riverwood to end up like Helgen. Irileth, send a battalion to Riverwood at once!"

After a brief spat with Proventus, the steward was dismissed and left the hall. "You've done Whiterun a service, traveler. Here, accept some coin on my behalf," he got up from his seat and handed me a nice sized coin purse. I'll wait until after to count it. "There is another thing you could do for me. I need someone reliable and you look like a capable young woman. Come, let's go find Farengar, my court wizard. He's been looking into a matter related to these dragons and anything related to them."

As I walked alongside him, he was whispering to me, "Farengar can be a bit difficult, you know how mages are." I merely nodded my head. Not all the mages I knew back home were very friendly people. "I'm sure he's working on something in his lab right now. Day and night he works on projects. I haven't seen him leave the front door in a while."

The jarl introduced me to Farengar. Farengar came off as socially inept, incapable of having a filter on what he said. He also came across as very condescending, not paying attention to those unworthy of his time. It also seemed like he would insult Balgruuf if he wasn't the jarl.

It seemed like my travels would take me to Bleak Falls Barrow. I had already promised Lucan and Camilla to bring their golden claw back from there so I'll kill two birds with one stone. Supposedly, a dragonstone is housed there that contains a map of dragon burial sites. I'll believe it when I see it.

I asked Farengar if he had any spell books to sell. He got some books out of a chest and laid them out on the table. Before I inspected them, Balgruuf said, "I don't expect you to get the dragonstone tonight, but we need it as soon as possible. Succeed at bringing it back and I'll be in your debt. Get some rest and watch yourself at Bleak Falls Barrow." He left to go to his quarters.

I looked over the books that Farengar had. I knew most of the novice spells he had on display, but illusion was not the class of magic I was good at, only knowing the Courage spell. Thinking over what I might encounter at the barrow, a good apprentice spell would be a valuable investment. I eyed on the Firebolt and Lightning spells. Getting both would be great, but it would be very costly. I decided on the Firebolt spell since undead are vulnerable to fire. I tried to barter for a better price, but I was pretty poor at negotiating. My father would be ashamed if he saw me now. I gave him three hundred gold and got my spell book. He also gave me a vial filled with frost salts to give to Arcadia, the city's apothecary. After that, I went to the Bannered Mare for some food and rest, perhaps a bath as well.

Arriving at the inn, I decided to get some food. I ordered some cooked beef with a Nord mead bottle. I preferred wine, but I had a fondness for that particular brand of mead. After putting down thirty gold coins, I went to go take a bath. It would take awhile for the meat to cook so I might as well kill some time. There was a public bath and a private bath, but the private one required you to pay. So I went to go find Faendal, but he found me not too long after I left the bar.

"How did it go?" he asked.

"Take us to our rooms, I'll tell you more there."

"There was only one room left. We'll have to share."

After climbing the wooden ladder, we arrived at our room. It was pretty spacious and had a lot of basic furniture a room would have. Faendal offhandedly told me that the innkeeper disliked elves, which was a surprise to me. She seemed so nice, but I suppose looks can be deceiving. I told him about what the jarl requested me to do. He merely nodded his head and said we were going to need more supplies if we were going to delve into the ruins.

I grabbed a spare tunic and trousers from my knapsack. It was a good thing that Sigrid gave me a spare set of clothes. I left my satchel and novice mage hood in the room. I went down to the public bathing room and saw a Nord woman bathing by herself in the bath. She had shoulder length red-brown hair that was wavy. Her eyes were a beautiful shade of amber. Her skin was pale and looked smooth with no trace of imperfection. She had a strong physique that didn't detract from her feminine beauty.

I realized I must've been staring because she called out to me more than once. "Are you okay?" I blushed in embarrassment and told her I was lost in thought. It was a half-truth, but she smiled, perhaps it was more of a smirk. I quickly took off my novice mage robes, my boots, and undergarments. Compared to her, my body was nothing to boast over. I had shoulder length black hair that I kept straight. There were scars all over my hands from the times I misused a dagger. I tried healing them, but my skin refused to go back to its original state. I guess I was meant to live with them.

Quickly getting into the tub, the water burned me briefly before I adjusted to the heat. I let out a sigh, my muscles relaxed from being submerged in the water. "So what brings you to Skyrim, friend?" she asked. I told her my name and that I was here to study at the College of Winterhold. I told her about my childhood in Daggerfall and that I always wanted to be a mage at a very young age, just like my mother. Well, I omitted some parts about her, but I told her the good parts.

She introduced herself as Ysolda and aspired to be a merchant. She talked about how before her parents died that she would become the best trader in Skyrim. Apparently one of the Khajiit caravan leaders gave her a bit of a test. If she got a mammoth tusk, he would help her to learn more about trading. I offered to help her and she would help me with learning how to barter. I probably should've paid attention to my father about making better deals, but at least Ysolda would teach me.

Unfortunately, Ysolda had to leave because she was tired. She dried herself, not realizing I was staring at her nude form. She looked absolutely divine. I bet the priestesses of Dibella would share my sentiment if they saw her as I did. She quickly put on her undergarments, stitched blue dress, and boots back on. I was honestly disappointed that I couldn't savor this moment. She bid me farewell and I did the same, just briefly snapping out of my hazed lust for her. I missed her already, but I knew I'd be seeing her again in the future.

Shortly after she left, I got out of the bath and dried myself with some linen on a rack. My mage robe and undergarments were still fairly clean so I didn't have them washed. I put on my undergarments, tunic, and trousers on and went to go eat and drink. After my late night supper, I went to get some much needed rest.

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 **So this is my first chapter, my friends. Sorry if there wasn't action in it. This is a test of the waters kind of chapter. Also, there will be items and things that didn't show up in the initial game, but were probably used in mods. It's nothing abstract, but it's just for future reference.**

 **Thanks everyone for reading. Please review and favor or follow to see more. If anything contradicts what's in lore or something that doesn't make sense, let me know and I'll make some corrections.**

 **P.S I've been replaying Skyrim just to make sure I get the landscape and descriptions of dungeons correct. Also been researching on lore and actual history to kind of blend into this story. Yeah, I'm a bit too dedicated for a fanfic.**


	2. Heading to Bleak Falls Barrow

**I would like to thank LaniusLegioXIII for helping me out with this and the previous chapter. Without him, there'd be quite a few mistakes.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own The Elder Scrolls series.**

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I woke up fairly early in the morning. I saw Faendal inspecting what he had in his knapsack. He saw me wide awake and said good morning to me. Likewise, I said morning as well. Faendal wrote some things on a piece of parchment with an ink pot and quill. It seemed like he was writing down supplies of what we would need.

After finishing, he gave me the list to look over. Since there's a lot of potential loot in Nordic ruins, a larger rucksack or a quality linen sack would be pretty valuable and a good long-term investment. We didn't need any bed rolls, but a couple of pillows would make sleeping on the ground more bearable. Other than some food that'll keep fresh for a long trip, we would be ready to leave for Bleak Falls Barrow.

Oh yeah, I forgot about Arcadia's frost salts. I suppose I should take care of that first.

Me and Faendal went downstairs with our stuff to get some breakfast before getting the supplies we needed. I had porridge with some honey and some milk. Faendal had a venison soup with some water. We had about an hour before all of the shops would be open to customers. Faendal showed me some possible routes we could take. We could backtrack to Riverwood and take the road we first passed by, which is a bit safer, but it would take longer to get to Bleak Falls Barrow. The second path is southwest from Whiterun. It would get us closer to the barrow, but the path is a lot steeper and there was a giant camp along the way. Either way, we were looking at a long trek.

We decided to go with our first option when we left Whiterun. We finished our breakfast and left the inn to shop at the stores. We only had eleven hundred gold so we needed to prioritize. The marketplace was crowded with people looking to buy food or just looking at what the merchants had for sale. I figured Whiterun was a big place, but seeing all these people here was a bit of a shock to say the least.

I decided we needed to pay Arcadia a visit. The name Arcadia's Cauldron was an interesting name. Me and Faendal walked in and it was an alchemist's dream come true. There were various potions and ingredients by the counter and along selves. There were a couple of people brewing some potions, likely assistants of the owner.

The woman behind the counter was very courteous when we entered and said to let her know if there was anything we needed. She looked to be in her forties with a few wrinkles on her face, but still fairly youthful. I asked if she knew a woman named Arcadia. "That would be me," she declared. I handed her the vial of frost salts and was very thankful for it. She gave me a few potions, a couple that a typical mage wouldn't use, but I thanked her for them. You never know when they will come in handy. She tried to "persuade" me into thinking I had ataxia, but I politely said I was fine.

We decided to hit the tailoring shop next, which was right next to Arcadia's Cauldron. It was a nice little business with a mother and daughter running it. They welcomed me and Faendal and we looked over at the leather rucksacks. All of them were incredibly well-made and looked like they could carry a lot of things in them with slots to place weapons and sleeping equipment; even the smallest one was larger than the average traveling knapsack. The price of them, however, made me groan internally. The small rucksack was about three hundred gold. It wasn't a bad price, considering the size, but we were on a short budget. I looked over at Faendal and he sort of hinted at me getting it. Oh well, I gave in and purchased it. Since he suggested it, Faendal was going to do the heavy lifting. The pillows will have to wait for another time.

After that, we quickly got whatever food we needed and left. The prices were a bit steeper than I would've anticipated. Almost half the gold we started with was gone within an hour. No matter, we should find some gold within the ruins with some valuable loot. I wasn't thrilled about another five hour trek towards Riverwood, but it was necessary.

Since it was going to take a while to get to the outskirts of Riverwood, I decided to read my Firebolt spell book. Predictably, the first few pages were warnings about the dangers of miscasting a spell and to practice outside with an experienced instructor. As I continued reading, the main difference between casting a Flames spell and a Firebolt spell is the compression of the fire and launching it at the target. I was pretty confident I can cast it. The only downside was I had to aim it correctly, otherwise I would miss my target. After I finished the book, it disintegrated from my hands.

Feeling a little hungry, me and Faendal decided to take a small lunch break off the side of the road. It was nothing special, just some salted venison meat with a little bit of bread and water from our canteens. We relaxed for a good half hour before we got back on the road.

We managed to reach the path we were going to take up the mountain. A lone wolf attacked us early on the path. I decided to test out my new Firebolt spell. I managed to launch it, but I used up almost all of my magicka. It wasn't supposed to use up so much magicka, from what I read in the book. Until I'm able to cast it with less magicka, I'll be sticking to Flames and Sparks for an extensive battle. Luckily, the wolf's pelt wasn't burnt too badly, so Faendal skinned the wolf and took some meat to cook for later.

As Faendal and I trudged on our way to Bleak Falls Barrow, the cold wind was picking up, lowering our visibility. I wonder if Kynareth was testing us. Well, she was testing my patience for sure. There was a tower in the distance. We could take temporary shelter there until we were feeling a bit warmer. I should probably get us coats to better brave the cold.

When we neared the tower, there were bandits taking shelter. I saw an Orc standing outside keeping guard. We took cover behind some large rocks and peeked to see if he spotted us. Thankfully, he didn't. Faendal grabbed his hunting bow and knocked a steel-tipped arrow. He aimed it at the Orc's head and shot. Faendal managed to lodge the arrow in the head of the bandit and he fell shortly after impact.

Although it was faint, I managed to hear someone from inside the tower call out to his friend. When his friend didn't respond, the man went to investigate. It was a Nord bandit this time. He saw the dead Orc and drew his iron sword, anticipating hostility. He was heading our way slowly, trying to get the element of surprise. I quickly conjured a familiar and it went after the bandit. My spectral familiar managed to keep him busy by biting his leg. Faendal quickly knocked an arrow and it struck the Nord's throat. The man gurgled on his own blood before he fell. My familiar disappeared shortly after the Nord died.

I ordered Faendal to see if there was anything inside the tower. I looted the two dead bandits. The Orc had some gold and nice fur armor and bracers, along with some boots Faendal could use. The Nord had similar fur armor, but it covered less and was a bit impractical for keeping warm. Still, the man had better items I could take, along with some iron arrows.

"Damn it!" I heard Faendal shout. It seems like he's having trouble with whoever's inside. I quickly rushed inside to see my companion barely evade a steel greatsword. This Orc was outfitted with a full set of iron armor. He had his greatsword at the ready and he looked really mad. Well, this was going to make things complicated.

I shouted at Faendal to head outside. If we were going to face him, we needed more space. I conjured my familiar to buy us some time. Sadly, it wasn't much since the Orc grabbed it by the throat and slammed it to a nearby wall, forcing it to dissipate. I quickly gave Faendal the iron arrows I looted. I told him to not use the steel arrows unless we had no choice.

I had my Flames spell in both my hands, ready to burn this Orc with his own armor. Side stepping away from Faendal, I launched two streams of fire at the bandit. I thought I had him on the ropes, but I ran out of magicka at a crucial moment. So we had a burnt Orc that was ready to slice us into pieces. The Orc was fighting against the cold wind to get to me.

Faendal shot an arrow and managed to hit the Orc in the elbow, causing the bandit to roar in pain. It slowed the Orc's advance, but he was still heading my way, albeit fighting through the pain to do so. Faendal kept shooting arrows, but the arrows bounced off the armor and landed on the ground. Some of my magicka recovered and I decided to try my Firebolt spell again. I managed to form it properly with less magicka than before. I launched the bolt of fire and the Orc screamed in pain, slowly dying until he could scream no longer. I really need to reread the spell books more carefully before using them. It's very doubtful I'll be this lucky with future spells. The bandit only had very little gold, but I took it.

With the bandits dead, we moved into the tower to assess our current inventory and to check for potential loot. Faendal took the fur armor that had sleeves and put it on along with the bracers and boots. I handed him the lockpick since he knew how to pick locks. Checking the rest of the tower, there were a few apples that were still good, a nice coin purse full of gold, some carrots, and a chest with gold. The spoils weren't too bad, all things considering. We rested there for a few minutes to warm ourselves up. Faendal said we were getting close to the barrow. Since there were bandits here at this tower, I expect more of their friends will be at the ruins, possibly the restless undead as well. The winds had died down and we took it as a sign to move forward.

It was roughly mid to late afternoon when we arrived at the steps of Bleak Falls Barrow. I conjured my familiar, anticipating our foes. They must have heard my summoning and I saw three male bandits, two Nords and one Redguard at the top of the steps. Faendal readied his bow and shot an iron arrow at one of the Nords, hitting him in the knee. I had to chuckle at that, _Talk about taking an arrow in the knee._ The stricken Nord fell and hobbled over to seek shelter from our assault. My familiar found him and started biting him. Unfortunately, his two friends defeated my spectral wolf with little effort.

The other two bandits decided to use their bows as well. They shot their arrows, the wind interfered and they barely missed me. I silently thanked Kynareth, asking her to forgive my little annoyance earlier. In my left hand I had my Flames spell, the right had my Firebolt spell. I managed to use my Firebolt with the same success as I had before and hit the Redguard on the chest. His fur armor offered no protection and was on fire. Instead of suffering slowly, Faendal managed to land an iron arrow at his chest, killing him quickly.

I didn't realize it, but the still standing Nord managed to launch an iron arrow from his bow and it struck my left hand. I screamed in pain and quickly took cover from getting hit again. Faendal rushed to my aid, but I told him to finish off the other Nord. He quickly knocked another arrow and it landed in the Nord's eye, killing him instantly.

Faendal knew how to remove an arrow without causing too much damage. He broke part of the shaft of the arrow and threw away the part with the fletching. He quickly removed the arrow from my hand and I shrieked in pain. The arrow left a small hole in my hand with blood oozing from it. I quickly used my Healing spell and the hole started closing up. After a good minute, it was completely gone along with the pain in my hand.

There was still that other Nord that was alive. I told Faendal to finish him off while I looted the dead bodies. He told me not to take their armor and that it would save us some space for truly valuable items. Among the two, one of them had a silver necklace. It would fetch us a decent amount of coin. Other than that, they didn't have any gold on them.

As I got up the steps, Faendal was looting the dead Nord. He managed to find a couple of picks and a few gold coins. The barrow was much larger up close. We could end up being in there for a good few hours exploring it. I asked Faendal if he was ready and he said he was up for whatever was inside. We walked up to the black carved doors, waiting to explore what the ruins had in store for us.

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 **Another chapter done, my friends. Let me know what you think. I don't have a set schedule of when chapters will be released, but I am focusing on the quality of my chapters.**

 **Reviews are greatly appreciated as are Faves and Follows. Tune in next time as Carollin and Faendal explore Bleak Falls Barrow.**


	3. Exploring Bleak Falls Barrow

**Wow, chapter three already. Time sure does fly. Well, I hope you enjoy it. Special thanks to LaniusLegioXIII for helping me out.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own The Elder Scrolls series.**

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It didn't take long for me and Faendal to run into dead bodies when entering the ruins. Well, these were fresh, probably a few hours old. There were a couple of dead bandits along with some skeevers. At the far end of the room were a couple of bandits sitting around a fire with a spit roast above it. They were completely unaware of our presence.

We decided on a simultaneous double assault on them. Faendal got into position, ready to pick off the female bandit as soon as I was close to them. I got my Firebolt spell ready in both hands, prepared to burn my target. Faendal shot his arrow and it hit the woman's shoulder, causing her to cry out in pain. Shit, I'll have to take them both out quick.

I launched my Firebolt at the man. The first bolt didn't kill him right away, which surprised. He must've been tougher than he looked. However, he couldn't survive the second one. The woman was trying to make a run for it, calling out for someone to help her. I conjured my familiar and it quickly tackled her to the ground. My familiar was too aggressive for her to resist and she met her demise.

Faendal got to work on picking the lock of a nearby chest. After a minute, he managed to open it. There was a good amount of gold and a minor healing potion that was still good to use. It will definitely come in handy. We took a break at the fallen enemy's campfire and cooked that wolf meat Faendal had. We had a small supper with some bread, carrots, and water. Before we left, we looted the dead bandits.

As we descended the stairs, there were some cobwebs. That's just perfect, Camilla never mentioned spiders. I hate spiders with a passion. We came across some urns on tables. Only one of them had gold, the rest were empty. Continuing on our path, there were roots coming up from the floor and walls. We watched our step to make sure we didn't trip on them. After some time, we encountered another bandit. He was looking at some stone plaques up above. It seemed like he was trying to solve the puzzle. Faendal quickly took care of him with an arrow to the heart. My companion looted him and took the stairs to see if there was something up there.

I had no idea why the bandit had such a hard time solving the puzzle. It was child's play. I moved the pillars to match the plaques in their proper sequence. Pulling the lever, the gate opened. We walked through and saw a book on the table. It was called "Thief" by Reven. I could always use some reading material while we travel. We looted the chest nearby and got a couple of soul gems out of it. I should probably brush up on enchanting in the future.

Faendal heard some noise from below. He said it sounded like skeevers. Not wanting to get ataxia, I conjured up my familiar to thin them out. We heard them starting to come up the stairs. My familiar managed to kill a couple of them before they overwhelmed it and forced to dissipate. I told Faendal to save his arrows and I took care of the pests with Flames in both hands.

Unpleasant smell of burning skeevers aside, we descended the stairs. Aside from some dirty linen, I saw a scroll there and immediately took it. Whatever spell it is, it'll definitely be useful in the future. I vaguely heard someone calling out for help as we got closer. There was a wall of webbing blocking our way into the next room. I quickly burned down the webbing and entered the room.

"By Arkay," I whispered. There were bodies, man and beast, webbed along the floor and walls. Whatever did this, I was not looking forward to meeting it.

There was a Dunmer man webbed up on the opposite end of the room. He started screaming when a giant spider coming down from a hole in the ceiling. It looked injured, but it still had some fight. Faendal quickly knocked an arrow and shot while I threw a Firebolt at it. It screeched in pain, but it slowly crawled toward us. The projectile of venom came our way, but we dodged it. Throwing a couple more Firebolts, the spider didn't survive much longer.

While Faendal looked for potential loot, I walked up to the webbed man. I was immediately suspicious of him. Camilla and Lucan mentioned a Dark Elf who came by their shop one day and eyed the golden claw. He was wearing the exact outfit they described. He offered them a price, but they refused, saying it was for display only. That night, they were robbed, but the only thing stolen was the claw.

Not wanting to tip him off that I knew about the claw, the man mentioned some sort of power locked away within the Nordic ruins. I burned down the webbing and he dropped to the floor. Before I had a chance to demand the claw from him, he ran. He was very fast, faster than a courier perhaps. Faendal fared better at catching him than I. The bastard didn't realize that he woke up the draugr. As they were getting up, he made another run for it. However, he triggered a trap that impaled him on a spiked wall. The wall went back to its original position with the thief still stuck on it and dripping with blood.

"That's just great," Faendal muttered in annoyance.

I launched a couple of Firebolts at a draugr and it took both of them to kill it. There were two left and managed to launch a third bolt at another one, but had to wait until some of my magicka recovered. Faendal launched a couple of iron arrows at the burning draugr and killed it. He tried to launch another arrow at the final draugr, but it managed to dodge. I switched to using Flames to burn it to a crisp. At least they were pretty easy to pick off. I told Faendal to backtrack to see if we missed anything while I looted the draugr corpses in the area. I was surprised at how much gold they had on them.

Faendal returned with some gold and a soul gem. We watched our step and carefully pulled the dead Dark Elf from the spiked wall. I checked his person and found the golden claw. There was also some gold and a journal that had his name on it, Arvel. I read through it and this man wanted the power of the ancient Nords. "When you have the golden claw, the solution is in the palm of your hands," I read aloud. Faendal just shrugged, not knowing what it meant. The riddle wasn't exactly subtle, but we needed to keep moving.

We climbed over a small bit of debris that blocked our path. However, a draugr woke up. It looked to be a bit tougher than the others, but it was nothing against my bolts of fire. I'm glad that I managed to get the hang of using my Firebolt spell. We looted the two draugr corpses and went down the stairs.

"This doesn't look good," Faendal whispered. There were a lot of draugr corpses in this section. We didn't take more than a few steps before draugr were starting to get up. Faendal started with those at the far side of the room. I took out the one closest one with ease. My friend took out one and I took out the last one. We looted the room and I spotted a chest on top of a pile of rubble. Faendal climbed up and started to pick the lock. It seemed like he had a harder time with this one, but he managed to open it. We got a little bit of gold out of it.

Faendal was testing out the Ancient Nord Bow to see if it was useful. It seemed like he didn't approve because he tossed it to the ground. He did take the arrows. I saw the pendulums swinging side to side. I was not looking forward to passing through it. Faendal was watching the pattern carefully. He ran fast when there was a slight delay. He passed through unscathed and pulled a lever to stop the pendulums. I thanked him for taking the risk.

We head down and found a few draugr sleeping. Faendal and I quickly took them down before they could even fully wake up and looted their corpses. We ascended up some steps and came across a room with a stream. A sarcophagus opened up and a draugr stepped out. A simple Firebolt and couple of arrows later and the draugr was dead for good. Faendal checked the draugr while I checked the chest. Aside from gold, there were some potions, but they looked spoiled.

I pulled the chain that linked to the gate blocking our path. My shoes were getting soaked from the water. Quickly getting out of the stream, we followed the path and there were glowing mushrooms on the walls of the cave. I'm not much of an alchemist, but I figured it can't hurt to learn now so I took some.

We came across a chest along with more glowing mushrooms. Hearing the draugr below us, Faendal went to investigate. I looked inside the chest and saw some decent loot: some gold, iron arrows, and another scroll. I didn't hear the sound of the draugr so I assumed Faendal took care of it. Following the path down, there were more mushrooms for me to take.

Faendal was heading below to see if there was anything down there. After a couple of minutes, he came back with some gold and another scroll. We pressed forward after organizing our spoils. After some time, we came across more branches on the floor and walls. There was a draugr up ahead, completely unaware of our presence. Faendal decided to stealth kill it. He knocked an arrow and it went right into the draugr's skull, killing it instantly. Faendal picked the lock on a chest within some rubble. There was some gold inside, but the draugr had nothing worth taking.

We entered the next room and were greeted with a raging fire burning. My feet were a bit sore so we took a break. My shoes were still a bit soaked so I grabbed a cheap pair of boots from my knapsack and put them on.

After our break, we pressed on and encountered another set of pendulums. I decided to go through this time. When I successfully went through the swinging blades unscathed, a draugr nearby started to wake up. I quickly pulled the chain to let Faendal come through. I quickly blasted the nearby draugr with a couple of Firebolts.

Two draugr came down the stairs and made some growling sounds. One of them readied a bow and launched an arrow at Faendal while the other came running toward me. Faendal moved out of the way and shot an arrow at the draugr archer. I quickly launched a couple bolts of fire and managed to kill the draugr closing in on us, but doing so exhausted my magicka reserves. Faendal shot an arrow at a pot above the draugr. There was flammable liquid on the floor and it ignited when the pot fell. The draugr was burnt to a crisp.

We scavenged the draugr bodies and went up the stairs. The bridge was a bit narrow, but we crossed it fine. After opening some iron doors, there was a long stretch leading to a dead end. We got to it and there was an indentation for a key and three rings with animals on it. I took out the golden claw and saw on the bottom a sequence with a bear, moth, and owl. After putting the rings in the right order and putting the claw in, the door unlocked itself and lowered for us to continue.

Ascending the stairs, I wondered what the Nords were hiding. Was it secret arcane knowledge? I scoffed at the idea of such barbarians caring about such a thing. I'm sure there'd be something valuable, but that dragonstone better be here and be worth the trip.

The cave we were in was massive. The bats were fluttering about, but I paid them no mind. It was strange to see so much flowing water within these ruins. Crossing the bridge, the large stone structure was unlike anything I've ever seen. I heard something calling to me from the wall. I don't know what happened, but the word FUS kept echoing in my mind. I got my journal and decided to write whatever language was inscribed on the wall. Hopefully I can get it translated and learn more about it.

As soon as I was done writing, a sarcophagus opened up and a draugr climbed out of it. This one looked to be more durable than the others. Before me and Faendal could react, it shouted something at us. I was staggered for a moment, but Faendal fell hard to the floor. There was ringing in my ears, but I had to make sure we would make it out of this alive.

I conjured my familiar to buy us a bit of time. My familiar managed to halt the draugr for a moment. Faendal complained about the disorientation he was experiencing; I was too, but I had to stay focused. I launched a few Firebolts at it, but it was still alive. It took out my familiar with an enchanted battleaxe and resumed heading toward us. Faendal recovered enough to use his bow. Even landing a few arrows to the chest, the draugr was still moving. I launched a couple more Firebolts and they managed to force the draugr to its knees. Faendal landed two more arrows and the draugr fell. We took a moment to catch our breath.

After recovering, we looted the chest and the dead draugr. We got a couple of enchanted items, giving me incentive to pursue enchanting items we loot in the future. The dragonstone was inside the sarcophagus the draugr was in. Since Faendal was carrying enough items, I decided to carry the stone. It was fairly heavy, but I could carry it.

Faendal and I left to find the exit. We went up the stairs and found a pedestal with a handle on top. I pulled it and the stone barrier was raised. There was a small drop down to exit the cave, but it wasn't a problem. I staggered when I jumped down from the small ledge, but I quickly recovered.

Seeing a chest, I checked to see what was inside it. There was quite a bit of gold inside and we made back our money from those expenses earlier. Faendal decided we should make camp and head out after some rest. I couldn't agree more with him.

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	4. Facing Mirmulnir

**Special thanks to LaniusLegioXIII for helping me edit this chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own The Elder Scrolls series.**

 **Edit: Some grammar corrections.**

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I woke up feeling refreshed after a good nap. Faendal was awake long before me, checking our inventory once again. He said we'll get a decent amount of coin for selling all of our loot. Even if we didn't lug around things to sell, we found more than enough gold to offset our costs. It was still dark outside, but we were rested enough to brave whatever came our way.

We went outside and it was pretty windy. Faendal told me to watch our step since we were on a high ledge. Although I can see fairly well, I took no chances and casted my Candlelight spell to see where I was going. I carefully climbed down, looking to make sure I didn't land on a sharp piece of rock. Faendal managed to climb down with no problem.

According to Faendal, Riverwood was about seven hours away. Based on the alignment of the moons, it was about three in the morning. Faendal jokingly told me we might run into vampires. I sure hope it was a joke because I wasn't looking forward to seeing them. I'd rather see bandits than those bloodsucking fiends.

Unfortunately, we had to cross the river in order to get to Riverwood. That's great, getting soaked again. The water was freezing, like little needles hitting my skin. Faendal and I braved the cold water and crossed the river with me shivering and my Bosmer companion mildly cold.

At the halfway point, the sun was out and there was a small bandit group that tried to rob us, but we killed them with ease and took their valuables. Our attire was drying while we were walking, but it was a bit uncomfortable due to chafing. We reached Riverwood and saw many guards patrolling the walls and streets. There was even a campsite near the entrance to the town for the guards to rest at.

We reached the Riverwood Trader to sell off our excess loot. I gave Lucan the claw back and he was very grateful to have it back in his possession. Lucan gave me a nice sum of four hundred septims for it. Faendal handed me the rucksack with our spoils while he was wooing Camilla. While I'm sure we could've sold everything here, I decided to hold off until we were in Whiterun to sell off the rest of our stuff.

I decided to pay Alvor a visit at his forge while Faendal went to go get some supplies at his home. Alvor was just finishing a new sword when he saw me. "Carollin, my girl! Thank you so much for delivering that message to Jarl Balgruuf. How are you?" I told him about going to Bleak Falls Barrow for the Jarl. Although Faendal and I needed to head to Whiterun, Alvor insisted that we have lunch at his home. I sure could use a good home cooked meal.

I told Faendal that we were having a meal in Alvor's home, but he didn't seem to mind. Faendal offered to help Alvor around the forge until lunch was ready. Meanwhile, I talked to Sigrid in the house. She was sweeping the floor and thanked me for bringing guards to Riverwood. Dorthe wanted me to do a few magic tricks. Sigrid told her daughter not to pester me, but I didn't mind. I showed the young girl a few spells that wouldn't burn down the house.

It was lunchtime and Sigrid made an apple cabbage stew. Dorthe showed her distaste for it, but Sigrid made her eat it. We all had a small chuckle at Dorthe's misfortune. Faendal learned a bit of the trade on how to fortify leather based armor. His little bit of knowledge would help bring in a bit more coin. After lunch, we unfortunately had to say goodbye to Alvor, Sigrid, and Dorthe. They bid us farewell and we made the trek to Whiterun again.

A Khajiit attempted to rob us near Honningbrew Meadery. I couldn't tell how old he was, but he seemed to be pretty young, roughly my age. I asked why he was robbing us. "Because I have no other choice. It's hard to get honest work with the reputation my people get." When we refused to comply, he threatened to attack us. I told him that by robbing me, you make it that much harder for your people to get a job. He seemed to ponder on what he was about to do. After a minute, he let us go and left.

We finally made it back to Whiterun. The guards up front recognized us and gave us a brief nod. The city was still fairly busy with people wanting to get some last minute ingredients for their supper and people who ate at the food vendors. I wasn't feeling hungry, but I gave Faendal some gold for him to get food. I took what was left of our loot and went to the general stone to sell it off.

The general store was decent. It wasn't anything fancy, but there were a variety of goods from weapons and armor to clothes and cooking utensils. The man, Belethor, was unsettling me, to say the least. If he wasn't making off colored jokes, he was making lecherous gazes at me. I can't believe I have to deal with this perverted man every time something needs to be sold or bought. Thank Stendarr I didn't Firebolt his ass to Oblivion.

I met back up with Faendal who was eating a meat pie with some mead. I decided to get one as well. Faendal told me they were a bit expensive, but it was worth the price. The vendor gave me a pie with some mead and I gave her forty septims. Biting into it, Faendal wasn't kidding in saying that it was worth the price. It was simple, but very flavorful with some vegetables in it.

After eating our food, we went to Dragonsreach to deliver the dragonstone to Farengar. I warned Faendal about the Nord mage's condescending attitude, but my Bosmer companion wasn't worried about that. The guards weren't as tense as last time, but they remained vigilant for any potential danger.

We went to the court wizard's lab to see Farengar working on a potion. Farengar said something about Balgruuf not expecting us to make it back alive. I didn't expect the Jarl to be that cold about sending strangers to get some artifact that may or may not exist, but I suppose it is better to send strangers than someone from his city. I grabbed the dragonstone and slammed it to the table. "Be careful with that!" Farengar urged.

"Be thankful we aren't dead, Farengar! It was practically a death trap at Bleak Falls Barrow," I snarled. He conceded and examined the tablet. I asked if he had the Lightning Bolt spell for sell. He did and even gave me a small discount for bringing the dragonstone. I guess he wasn't completely self-centered. Farengar told me to see Proventus for compensation of our trip. Before leaving, Faendal placed the enchanted battleaxe on the enchanting table. I willed it to give me knowledge on the enchantment and it was for frost damage. I did the same for the shield and it had frost resistance.

I informed the Jarl and Proventus that we gave the dragonstone to Farengar. Balgruuf thanked me and gave me some enchanted iron boots as well as telling me I can purchase property within the city. It would be nice to have a home to come to, especially if it's in the center of Skyrim. It wouldn't hurt to see Ysolda more often while living here either. Proventus politely whispered and asked for my name, saying Balgruuf would like to know who helped him and his people. I hinted that I knew the Jarl really didn't really care for my well-being for sending me to Bleak Falls Barrow. The steward apologized, saying Jarl Balgruuf was skeptical of the dragonstone's existence and would rather send an unknown person than send his people. I didn't like it, but I understood his reasoning for it.

Faendal and I decided to get a room at the Bannered Mare. Thankfully, we managed to get a room for the night. Faendal went to bathe while I listened to the bard singing. He was singing a song called The Dragonborn Comes. He sang fairly well, but I've listened to better bards elsewhere.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a young girl in a green dress sitting by herself. She was nibbling on a piece of bread and looked very tired with a hint of sadness. After she finished eating, she left the inn. I should keep my eye on her in the future. I have a feeling she might be an orphan or living in an abusive household.

My mage robe and hood started to smell a bit so I asked the Redguard woman Saadia to wash them. She courteously replied she'll get them cleaned. I wore my green tunic and brown trousers until my mage clothing was washed and cleaned. I didn't want to be cooped up in the inn so I decided to take a walk around the city. I didn't anticipate hostility, but having a dagger couldn't hurt.

I was greeted with a gentle breeze after exiting the inn. There were people heading home and citizens patrolling the city. I saw a house called Breezehome up for sale. It was about five thousand septims, fairly inexpensive for a house this big, but I needed more gold to buy it. As I was walking, I saw a pair of red eyes staring back at me. I froze in fear and realized what I saw. "Vampire," I whispered. The last thing I wanted to see tonight and it was staring right at me.

The bloodsucker started running at me. I conjured a familiar to help keep the damn thing away from me. I heard screams and shrieks from people running to their homes. My familiar bit its leg to prevent it from getting closer to me. The vampire was going to use its Vampiric Drain spell to steal my blood. I used my Lesser Ward to block it. It seemed like it was a weak vampire because a stronger one would have broken my ward after a few seconds.

After it ran out of magicka, I decided to go on the offensive. Switching to Firebolt, I lobbed bolts of fire at the undead monstrosity. It shrieked in pain from being set on fire. It took several Firebolts, but the bloodsucker turned to ash. I was so petrified afterwards that I didn't see the guards asking if I was alright. I didn't care about looting the spoils of its remains. I just wanted to be somewhere safe.

I got back to the inn, completely stone-faced. Everyone at the inn was minding their own business, unaware that a vampire just attacked within their city. I got to the room and Faendal was reading a book about the Empire. He asked me how I was doing and I said fine, trying to avoid a conversation. I told him I was heading to bed early.

The fight with the vampire kept appearing in my dream, more accurately, a nightmare. I kept thinking what would have happened if the vampire was stronger. Would it have killed me? Would it turn me into one of them? I shudder at the thought of becoming a vampire. I shouldn't think too much on it. The bloodsucker is dead and that's all that matters.

I woke up and didn't see Faendal in the room. He probably went to go get some food. I grabbed the Lightning Bolt spell book and began to read it. It was very similar to Firebolt in terms of use, except with electricity instead of fire. The book did mention that there's a chance the bolt could arc and miss the target from a far distance. Once again, my spell book disintegrated. My mage clothes were cleaned and folded neatly on a chair. When I went downstairs, I gave Saadia a few septims and thanked her for cleaning my clothes.

I didn't want a big breakfast so I just got a sweetroll and some milk. Faendal looked at me like something was off about me. He was a bit thoughtful and didn't press the matter. We heard murmurs among the patrons in the inn about the vampire attack last night. Some were scared that they were going to be in their homes when the sun sets completely from now on.

Finishing our breakfast, we left the inn and the merchants at the market stalls were just opening up. The potential customers were talking amongst themselves about the attack last night. It seems word travels fast in Skyrim, or at least in Whiterun it does. As we were going to Dragonsreach to see if we could find any jobs to do, we were stopped by a guard and told us Jarl Balgruuf requested our presence. I wonder what he has in store for us.

When we arrived at Dragonsreach, there were a lot of guards waiting. We announced our presence and the Jarl thanked us for coming. Balgruuf spoke with one of the guards without his helmet on, "You were at the Western Watchtower, correct?"

"Yes, my lord. It came from the south, near Bleak Falls Barrow, I think. It was fast. One minute it was at the mountain range, the next it was circling the watchtower."

Balgruuf turned his attention to me. "Did you see a dragon on your travels, Carollin?" I shook my head, saying we never encountered one near the barrow.

The Jarl told the guard to resume his story and asked if it was attacking the watchtower. The guard shook his head, "No, my lord. It was circling the tower. I was told to get a message to Whiterun and inform you of the dragon. I never ran so fast in my life."

Balgruuf thanked him and told the man to get some food and rest. Irileth gave her speech on fighting the dragon that it was not for glory, but to keep the people of Whiterun safe. She wanted to boost the morale of the guards as well as telling them what was at stake. After Irileth was done, she and the guards made their way to the Western Watchtower.

The Jarl pulled me aside. "There's no standing on ceremonies, my friend. I require your help again. Although you didn't sign up to fight a dragon, the men sure could use a mage on their side. When you get back, I'm sure we'll have plenty to talk about. Go help Irileth and my guards defeat this dragon."

Faendal and I ran to catch up to Irileth and the guards. We caught up to them at the gates. The watchtower was about two hours away, but we could see smoke from the outskirts of Whiterun. I caught up to Irileth and she already knew the watchtower was destroyed. However, she was optimistic that someone could've survived the attack. When we got to the watchtower, it was mostly devastated. The walls were destroyed and bodies burning from the fires. If one dragon can destroy Helgen and a massive watchtower, I can't imagine what multiple dragons can do. Irileth told us to split up and look for survivors.

I found a guard, but he told us to stay back and that two guards were snatched up when attempting to escape. "Kyne save us, here he comes again!" It was strange to hear him say Kyne instead of Kynareth. Did he worship the Nordic Pantheon instead of the Imperial Pantheon?

Everyone heard the roar from the mountain. I saw it coming from near Bleak Falls Barrow. How in Oblivion did we not see this dragon there? Was it sleeping within the mountain or was it somewhere else before it came here? No matter, this dragon is going to die by our hands.

"Take cover and make every arrow," Irileth turned to me and smirked, "and spell count."

The dragon roared and started circling the area, looking for a point of attack. It found a spot and landed on a chunk of stone wall that was still standing. One man was in its path of attack and breathed fire on the poor guard, burning him to death. I threw a few Firebolts at it, but it seemed to shrug it off like they were nothing.

"Brit grah (Beautiful battle). I had forgotten what fine sport you mortals can provide! You will fear the wrath of Mirmulnir!"

Huh, so these overgrown lizards can speak and have names. I always thought dragons were just like any other creature around Tamriel, but I was wrong. Not that I would have a pleasant conversation with one, but this is a pretty interesting experience.

Since fire spells don't seem to work, I decided on try my Lightning Bolt spell. I missed the first one due to the arc of the electricity, but the other two managed hit the dragon. I ran out of magicka, but the guards, Faendal, and Irileth were shooting arrows at it.

"This is crazy, Carollin," Faendal said. "I can't believe we're actually fighting a dragon."

"Don't let it get to your head, Faendal. This thing will kill us the first chance it gets. We'll get to share our excitement later." Faendal merely nodded and shot more arrows at the behemoth.

It felt like hours fighting this dragon, or Mirmulnir as he called himself, but I'm sure it was more close to half an hour. The guards were getting tired, and a few of them were snatched because of their fatigue. "Thurri du hin sille ko Sovngarde (My lord will feast on your souls in Sovngarde)!" Aside from Sovngarde, I had no idea what this dragon meant.

I launched more Lightning Bolts and the dragon started showing signs of injury. There was blood oozing from its scales. It also showed signs of being tired as well, if that was possible. Mirmulnir landed on the ground, away from the tower. Most of the guards kept their distance and shot arrows while a few were going for a head-on assault.

Mirmulnir shouted something like the draugr did at Bleak Falls Barrow. The guards were disoriented and the dragon grabbed one of them with his jaws and smacked the other two guards with their friend. Sadly, all three of them died.

I decided to take a risk. If the dragon's breath is a form of magic, then the Dragonskin ability my people have should let me absorb some of its magicka. If I'm wrong, well, I hope I'm not wrong. I ran towards the dragon with the guards and Irileth asking if I was mad to charge at it. In a way, I was, but I hoped my risk would pay off. "You are brave. Balaan hokoron (Worthy enemy). Your defeat brings me honor," he said.

I launched a few Lightning Bolts at Mirmulnir and it roared in pain. More blood was dripping from its wounds. I turned to my left, facing north to make sure the archers wouldn't hit me. Mirmulnir breathed his fire at me. I focused on absorbing the energy radiating from his breath. The heat was intense and powerful unlike anything I've experienced.

Arrows continued to rain down on the dragon and it was struggling to stand up. Irileth and everyone else came out from hiding and wanted to get up close and personal. They were using their swords and axes while I used my spells. Mirmulnir smacked a few guards with his wings, but he couldn't fight back after that. Before he died, Mirmulnir shouted, "Dovahkiin! No!"

"Let's see if this lizard is dead," Irileth said. It sure looked dead to me.

Everyone watched as Mirmulnir's body started burning up. The guards were astounded to say the least. Irileth told everyone to stay back, but I stayed in place out of fascination. The energy of the dead dragon had enveloped me. It was a surge of power unlike anything I've ever felt before. However, it started to be too much after ten seconds. It felt like the energy was burning into my very soul. I thought the energy was going to kill me, but the energy stopped flowing into me. My body felt paralyzed and I was unable to move my muscles. I fell to the ground and felt myself losing consciousness. Before I was unconscious, I heard a voice in my mind saying, _**We're going to have so much fun, Carollin.  
**_

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 **This chapter is a bit lengthy, but I think you guys won't mind. Let me know what you guys think. Fave, follow, and review or just bookmark it to see where it goes.**


	5. Thane of Whiterun

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Elder Scrolls series.**

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"You heard the Greybeards, Hrongar. They summoned the Dragonborn to High Hrothgar. What else could it mean?"

As Balgruuf and his brother Hrongar were discussing the implications of the Dragonborn, Irileth returned from the Western Watchtower. The Jarl asked if the dragon was there. She confirmed the dragon attacked and it was killed. She also said a few of the guards were killed, but the Jarl said their sacrifice was not in vain. "The guards seem to think Carollin is this Dragonborn figure."

Jarl Balgruuf was deep in thought about Carollin being the Dragonborn. She was a random stranger that acted on behalf of Riverwood to send aid and to deliver a report about Helgen. Why would the gods bless her with being Dragonborn?

During his contemplation, Hrongar and Proventus were arguing. "Calm yourself, Hrongar. We don't even know if Carollin is this so-called Dragonborn. It could be just some Nord nonsense."

Hrongar snarled in rage and was ready to attack the steward. He got mad to the point that Irileth had to hold him back from attacking Proventus. "Don't you dare insult our traditions, Proventus! They date back to the founding of the First Empire, something that you should know if you gave a damn!" Hrongar yelled with Irileth fearing he would hit her just to beat the Imperial man.

Proventus apologized, not wanting to disrespect the Jarl's brother. However, he was still skeptical of Carollin being this sacred hero the Nords revere. The Imperial had to question why the Greybeards would call her. When he asked Balgruuf, the Jarl merely said, "That's the Greybeards' business, not ours. Perhaps we should let her give a demonstration to see for ourselves if she is Dragonborn. If she is Dragonborn, she'd be invaluable to have on our side."

"You're not seriously considering Carollin to be your Thane, my Jarl," Proventus asked in disbelief.

"So what if I am?" The Imperial steward did not retort. "Are you afraid that just because she's a Breton that'll mean she'll backstab us? I may have been skeptical of her when she first arrived here, but I believe she can be trusted. Besides, I haven't had a Thane in years. Irileth, go fetch Lydia and tell her she's to be a Housecarl."

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I heard that voice echo in my mind. It was terrifying me. It talked of power and superiority. I just wanted to wake up from this nightmare and escape it. _**You can relax, Carollin. I don't expect much from you except for one thing.**_

 _What do you want?!_ I practically shouted at a disembodied voice.

The voice chuckled slightly. _**I don't want anything except for you to get stronger, Carollin. In fact, you are behind in your potential as a mage. You are just barely casting apprentice spells. Your mother would have been disappointed.**_

"Be quiet!"

I woke up with sweat on my brow and face. I saw a priestess with a concerned look on her face. There were other injured and sick people looking at me funny. I must have talked in my sleep, how embarrassing. The priestess asked if I was okay. I nodded and asked where I was. I was at the Temple of Kynareth and Whiterun guards had taken me here on the orders of Irileth.

Faendal entered the temple and asked if I was okay. My body was a bit sore, but I was able to move. The priestess advised me to not strain myself, but I knew well enough to not try anything reckless. I asked my Bosmer friend how long I was unconscious. "Six hours. Irileth said to meet with the Jarl when you recovered. Shall we see the Jarl or are you hungry?" I acquired my supplies the priestess was withholding in a room. I didn't want to eat a big meal right away so I got a red apple from my knapsack and ate it while we headed up to Dragonsreach.

I nearly tripped a couple of times while walking up the steps, but Faendal managed to catch me. The guards patrolling the perimeter of Dragonsreach were asking if I needed assistance, but I told them I was fine. They also congratulated me on killing the dragon at the Western Watchtower. I kept wondering if Mirmulnir was the voice in my head. Maybe I'm just going insane and it's Sheogorath trying to make me descend into madness. I wouldn't put it past him if he was responsible.

The large tables had an assortment of food placed on each of them. I took my eyes off the food and heard Proventus calling to me. Proventus told Faendal to sit and eat what he desired. The Jarl asked if I was okay. "As long as you don't ask me to take a knee, I'll be fine." Balgruuf laughed with Irileth giving a small chuckle.

The Jarl stopped laughing and calmed himself before speaking, "After your ordeal, that's the last thing I would want you to do." He looked a bit more serious before continuing, "The guards have been saying you're Dragonborn. Do you know what that is?"

"You mean like the Dragonborn emperors?" I inquired.

"Not exactly, Carollin. The Dragonborn is blessed with the dragon blood and able to steal the life force of a slain dragon. When you killed the dragon at the Western Watchtower, you were able to consume its soul and obtain its power. You can harness your power into a thu'um, or Shout. Can you give us a demonstration? "

 _ **Show them, Carollin. Give everyone a taste of what you're capable of. FUS means force in your tongue.**_

I Shouted FUS at the ceiling above, not wanting to ruin the feast. The hall rumbled and echoed FUS for a minute. There were murmurs amongst the guards and Irileth had a look of disbelief. A few people seemed afraid of what I could do. _**They have a right to fear you. That's the sign of true power.**_

The Jarl was astounded. "The Greybeards really were summoning you." My confusion made him elaborate further. "They are masters in the way of the Voice. They live in seclusion at High Hrothgar, a monastery on the mountain to the southeast. While you were recovering, they Shouted 'Dovahkiin' which is Dragonborn in the dragon language. Long ago, Tiber Septim was also called to High Hrothgar." Balgruuf briefly reflected before continuing, "I once made the pilgrimage in my youth. I remember that experience being treacherous, but it was an experience I'll never forget. You should head there as soon as possible. They will know how to handle this situation. Before I forget…"

Balgruuf grabbed a silver ring with the Whiterun symbol carved into it. He gave me the ring and I slipped it onto my left ring finger. He offered me the position of being his Thane. How could I refuse such an offer? The oath he made me swore was simple: protect the people of Whiterun, help prevent crimes if they occur, and I would carry out any important assignments he gave to me.

I was definitely going to enjoy the perks. Getting a discount from merchants and food vendors in Whiterun would help save money. As long as I don't falsely accuse someone, I can send criminals to the Dragonsreach dungeon. Any Thieves Guild and Dark Brotherhood members were to be caught and sent to Dragonsreach or executed on sight if they refused arrest. Breezehome was now reserved to me to purchase whenever I had the funds. Lastly, I would have a Housecarl named Lydia.

Lydia introduced herself and I just stared at her. Were all Nord women attractive or was it just my imagination? She had straight black hair that was shoulder length. Before now, I never considered a woman in armor attractive, but Lydia made me reconsider. She had these blue eyes that were very expressive and would show her mood. Her skin was flawless with no imperfections. By the Divines, she looked good without even trying.

"It is an honor to meet you, my Thane," Lydia said with sincerity.

Before I could speak, the Jarl asked us to stay for a feast. There was so much food that it could feed dozens of people easily. I sat in between Lydia and Faendal. Members of the Jarl's court and his children also accompanied the feast. Aside from one child, the other two seemed to treat others besides their father beneath them. I can't believe the Jarl never disciplined these children. Thankfully, they kept to themselves and never bothered me.

While we ate, Lydia asked if we were heading to High Hrothgar afterwards. I told her we needed to be well prepared for that kind of journey. Also, I suggested we buy Breezehome so we wouldn't have to stay at the inn every time we came to Whiterun. She suggested we could take some bounties. If we killed bandit leaders, we would get a thousand septims, double that if we brought them back alive.

I asked Faendal what he thought and he said it sounded like a good plan. Before we left, I bought the Healing Hands and Calm spells from Farengar. My companions didn't mind me spending gold on spells as long as I didn't spend all of our money. As much as I wanted to horde all those spells for myself, I had to be careful with spending money. I also checked with Proventus to see if there were any bounties. The Jarl wanted the bandit leader at Halted Stream Camp dead or alive. I need the coin so he's coming back alive.

When we got to the Wind District, we saw to two Redguards arguing with each other. I overheard part of the conversation, something about a family sword. The man tried to persuade his wife about the importance of the sword, but his wife was having none of it. If he stepped out of the city, she would leave him.

I greeted the Redguard man and he introduced himself as Amren. I asked a bit more about his family's sword. It was his father's sword and that's what kept his family fed. He didn't want it to be in some bandit's trophy room. My father had quite a few mementos back in Daggerfall that he couldn't dare part with them. Amren told me it would have to hire the Companions or the Whiterun guards to bring back the sword. I offered to bring back his sword and he thanked me. He asked me to pull out my map to mark where it was. The sword was at White River Watch, which was just across the bridge to the east. He left to catch up with his wife.

We went to get a couple of rooms at the inn. Faendal would get a room to himself while me and Lydia would share. When the innkeeper saw the ring on my finger, she said the rooms were free of charge due to me being a Thane. I could definitely get used to the perks of being a Thane. Me and Lydia decided to take a bath while Faendal was going to talk to the other patrons.

The public bathing area was empty so we had it to ourselves for now. We undressed and got into the tub. The water was nice and warm. It was soothing my aching body and relaxing it. I heard Lydia sighing in relief. I can see her closing her eyes and mine were doing the same. The water was just that great. "Don't fall asleep you two. You don't want to drown do you?" I opened my eyes to see Ysolda smirking at us. I saw Lydia rolling her eyes in annoyance.

"The water's great, Ysolda. You'd fall asleep too once you get in." Lydia closed her eyes again and enjoyed the warm water.

Ysolda started taking off her clothes. She looked to be taking her time, almost like she was teasing me. I saw a smirk, she was definitely teasing me. Lydia was too focused on the relaxing water to realize the aspiring merchant was taunting me. Instead of being shy this time, I decided to indulge in her little game. I was shamelessly leering at her body, admiring her once again. After she was done undressing, she gave me a wink and got into the tub.

"I saw you being carried by the guards earlier, Carollin. What happened?" She dropped her flirtatious natured and looked more concerned.

"Fighting a dragon does take a lot out of you." The voice in my head merely chuckled in amusement. I was still puzzled at who this voice was. I'm going to pry for some answers once it is in a talkative mood.

Ysolda looked like she was going to pry further, but Lydia chimed in. "I was going to help, but the Jarl made me stay behind. I wanted to see this dragon up close."

I kept thinking back to that battle with Mirmulnir. It took many men, including myself, to just take down one dragon. If all dragons were that strong, how in Oblivion was I going to slay them with just a handful of people? I just kept silent, not wanting to ruin Lydia's excitement. I'll tell her what facing a dragon was actually like later.

I asked how they knew each other. Lydia was an orphan at a young age and befriended Ysolda and the other children such as Farkas, Vilkas, and Aela, and all three were currently members of the Companions, a group that went out and took care of threats big and small. It was nice seeing the two reminisce and laughing at pleasant memories.

"So how do you know Carollin, Lydia?" Ysolda asked.

"She's my Thane," Lydia said proudly.

The red-brown haired beauty raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Well now, you're certainly making some friends, Carollin."

We all finished washing up and got out of the tub. I snuck a few peeks at Ysolda while we were drying up and getting dressed. Lydia managed to catch me on the third time and smirked at me. She made a kissing face at me and I rolled my eyes in annoyance. My tunic and trousers were slightly damp from not drying completely, but it was not a big deal. Ysolda gave Lydia a hug and then gave me one. I didn't expect her grip to be so strong that my back popped a few times. The two Nord women laughed and I was blushing in embarrassment. Ysolda bid us farewell and gave me a subtle wink.

"So, my Thane, how do _you_ know Ysolda?" I wanted to wipe the smirk on Lydia's face, but she would crush me in a fist fight.

"You can call me Carollin, Lydia," I grumbled. "I met Ysolda a few days ago, in this very room no less."

My Housecarl arched her eyebrow in amusement. That smirk was still on her damn face. Damn her. "There has to be more to it than just that." I told Lydia that Ysolda caught me staring at her before I got in the tub. Lydia laughed heavily, "Carollin, subtlety is not your strong suit." I just rolled my eyes and she laughed even more.

Lydia went to get some mead for herself. I asked if she needed some gold, but she had enough to get a few bottles. I saw that little girl with the green dress from last night. Once again, she was eating some bread by herself at a corner table. She was also drinking from a tankard, probably water if I had to guess.

When I approached her, she had a small smile on her face. "Hello." At least she was pleasant, unlike those brats at Dragonsreach. I asked if the seat near her was taken and she shook her head.

I asked for her name and she said Lucia. I told my name and she thought the name Carollin was pretty. "What are you doing here, Lucia? Where are your parents?" I immediately regretted asking that question because she started to cry. I was at a loss of what to do. I wanted to comfort her, but she barely knows me and would be cautious to strangers.

After crying for a little bit, she answered, "My parents are dead. They owned a farm that my aunt and uncle took over. They kicked me out of the house, said I wasn't good for anything. I ended up here in Whiterun, but I don't know what to do. I miss mama so much."

I asked if she was begging for gold and she nodded. "Listen, Lucia. Begging isn't always going to keep you fed. I could ask some of the merchants if they're looking for an apprentice."

"What's that?" she asked.

"An apprentice is someone who is trained by a master at a particular trade. For example, a blacksmith may have an apprentice to help them around the forge. You won't get paid, but you'll learn valuable skills from working there. They will even take care of you if you know the right people."

Lucia's face fell into a frown. "I don't know anyone except for Brenuin, the beggar. He was the one that told me to ask people for money. Even when I didn't have enough gold for food, he gave me what little he had to make sure I ate."

I did recall seeing a Redguard beggar wandering around Whiterun the night I was attacked by that vampire. He looked very drunk, but I suppose he was harmless if he managed to help little Lucia survive. "Lucia, are you feeling hungry?" She nodded her head enthusiastically. I grabbed her hand and walked her over to the innkeeper. "Ask her what you want."

"But, I can't afford anything, Carollin," she said in disappointment.

"I'm buying your supper. Go ahead, ask what you want."

Lucia ordered a grilled chicken breast with baked potatoes and another tankard of water. Hulda wrote down what she wanted and asked Saadia to come get the order. The Redguard woman went to go cook the order. I threw down twenty gold for Lucia's food and another ten gold to get another room for the night. Lucia looked at me in confusion. "You're spending the night here. You don't mind, do you?"

The little girl just shook her head. "I haven't been in a bed in over a month," she whispered. How terrible. I pray to Stendarr I don't meet her aunt or uncle. They will feel my wrath if I ever come across them.

The food came and Lucia immediately dug into the chicken. She burned her tongue and spat out the small piece she ate. Hulda and I chuckled a little. "Don't burn yourself," Hulda said. Lucia took a drink from her tankard. I ordered some wine while the blonde girl ate. She was eating like it was her first big meal in days. Perhaps that was the case.

After we finished, I led Lucia to our room. I told her to wait in the room while I went to get my things. Lydia was in a blue tunic with some brown trousers. She was reading a book about the Empire. She closed the book when she saw me. "Ah, my Thane, would you like the bed tonight or would you like to share?" she asked suggestively. I told her I got a separate room. It was kind of adorable the way Lydia pouted. "Aw, you don't like me?"

I just shook my head and laughed. "I think you're fine, Lydia. Also, there's a slight change of plan." Lydia stopped being playful to hear what I had in mind. "Do you know who Lucia is?"

"Is she the little Imperial girl with the green dress?"

"Yes, are there any apprenticeships in Whiterun?" I inquired.

Lydia thought about it for a minute before responding. "Last I checked Arcadia was looking for an apprentice. Why?" I think my face gave away what I was thinking. "What happens if Arcadia won't accept her?"

"Then I'll pay for Arcadia to teach and take care of her. Lucia is being forced to grow up early because her aunt and uncle wouldn't take care of her. Heartless bastards," I growled. Lydia gave me a sympathetic look and said she supported my decision. I grabbed my things and went to the room I'm sharing with Lucia.

Lucia was lying on the bed and sighing in relief when I entered. "Ah, the bed is so soft and comfortable." When she saw me, she smiled.

I put away my knapsack and supplies in the dresser. I insisted that Lucia could have the bed, but she pointed out that the bed was big enough for the both of us. "You did a lot for me, Carollin. I can never repay your kindness."

"There is one thing you can do, but we'll wait until the morning. Get some rest, Lucia." She cuddled up next to me and started crying into my shoulder, thanking me over and over. She slept shortly after she shed her tears. I fell asleep after making sure Lucia was okay.

* * *

 **Another chapter done. I always hated there wasn't a side quest where you could beat Lucia's aunt and uncle. I would've even went the extra mile and killed them and seized the farm. At any rate, fave, follow, and review. Bookmark it for later if you want. Stay tuned next time for some bounty hunting.**


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